Greg Hinz On Politics

Planning chief asks Quinn to back off on Illiana

The already red-hot fight over whether to build the proposed Illiana Expressway just got a little hotter, setting the stage for what could turn into a public brawl of sorts at a key meeting set for early October.

In the latest development, the chairman of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning — a planning agency whose staff and board rejected the proposed toll road but was overruled by the agency's policy committee — has asked Quinn administration officials to back off their intense backing for the road.

In a letter (below) that was personally handed to Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Erica Borggren late last week, CMAP board Chair Gerald Bennett asked that all future policy committee decisions require a three-quarters vote, not just the simple margin (of 11-8) by which it approved the road a year ago after IDOT officials twisted the arms of policy committee members whose agencies depend on state subsidies.

"Other regional agencies in northeastern Illinois require a super majority — for example, the Regional Transportation Authority Act requires that 12 of the 16 RTA board members must vote to approve any major action," says Mr. Bennett's letter, which was given to Ms. Borggren during a visit to CMAP's offices. Ms. Borggren chairs the policy committee.

"Our experience at CMAP is that this is an important aspect of building consensus and maintaining public respect for the decision of these boards and the institutions that they govern," Mr. Bennett continued. "By requiring a super majority, the . . . policy committee would give greater weight to its decisions."

Mr. Bennett's motion to send the letter was approved at the CMAP board meeting in September.

An IDOT spokesman declined to comment but gave no indication the department will agree. Mr. Bennett does not have the power to force IDOT to change policy committee rules.

But Mr. Bennett, who also is mayor of southwest suburban Palos Hills, also has a few cards to play. At a meeting Oct. 8, the CMAP board is supposed to vote on a motion to include the Illiana in what normally would be a routine reauthorization of its master plan, known as Go to 2040.

STALEMATE POSSIBLE

At the September meeting, Mr. Bennett indicated that he would entertain a motion to reapprove the Go to 2040 plan without the Illiana. With votes from 12 of the 16 board members needed to do anything, Illiana foes could win, the opponents could cave or both sides could stalemate, leaving the region without any plan and, potentially, without the ability to spend federal transportation money.

That's a real possibility because Illiana foes show no sign of conceding.

"If the broader agenda of CMAP's board can be overruled by the narrower agenda of the policy committee, then the promise of CMAP will never be fulfilled," Peter Skosey, executive vice president of the Metropolitan Planning Council, testified at the CMAP board's September meeting. "The Illiana experience has also taught us that the region must abide by its strong performance measures and stand as a national leader for project selection."

The position may have gained some currency with today's news that the private operator of the Indiana tollway system has filed for bankruptcy. The Illiana, which would run from I-55 in Illinois to I-65 in Indiana, is supposed to be a private/public partnership, like the Indiana Toll Road, but CMAP staff has alleged that the Illiana likely will never pay for itself, potentially leaving taxpayers stuck with a bill of $1 billion or more.

Complicating the matter is that one anti group, Chicago's Environmental Law & Policy Center, has filed suit against the road, contending that only Mr. Bennett's CMAP board and not Ms. Borggren's policy committee can make the final decision.

It all comes to a head on Oct. 8, when the CMAP board and policy committee are scheduled to hold a joint meeting. It could be quite a session.